'Transformers: Age of Extinction' blasts off with $8.75 million on Thursday

Transformers: Age of Extinction got off to a decent start at the box office Thursday, although it was the worst early opening for the franchise. The film is also doing great business overseas so far.

In the U.S., Age of Extinction hit 2,990 locations Thursday night. According to Variety, it brought in $8.75 million during those screenings, with a cool $1.4 million of that coming from IMAX screenings.

While that doesn’t mean that it won’t hit the $100 million target by Sunday, it is the worst early opening for the franchise. It is a hair under the $8.8 million the first film made on its first day in 2007.

Overseas, Age of Extinction has been the hit that Paramount wished for, bringing in $30 million in total from 22 foreign markets, notes Deadline. The studio is releasing the film in 36 total territories this weekend, including two big ones - China and Russia.

The film earned $3.5 million from midnight showings in China and $5.5 million in Russia.

Age of Extinction features Mark Wahlberg instead of Shia LaBeouf, but is again directed by explosions extraordinaire Michael Bay. Based on the early numbers, theater owners are getting in as many screenings as possible, despite the gargantuan 167-minute runtime.